Bobby Clarke

Robert Earle Clarke (born 1949-08-13) is a former Canadian ice hockey player, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Sourced

• My feelings I'm sure are like the thousands of other kids who dreamed their entire life of winning and holding the Stanley Cup. I don't really know how to articulate it and I've never seen anybody put the feeling into words properly. We all felt the same way, whether you won it in Montreal, or in Toronto or in Philadelphia. When you win the Stanley Cup after dreaming about it your whole life, for me, that was the highlight of my hockey playing career.
  • Quoted in Kevin Shea, "One on One with Bobby Clarke," Legends of Hockey.net (2003-05-02)
• I don't give a shit if nobody likes me, I could care less. But they shouldn't be getting mad at me, I didn't put the [offer sheet] rule in the collective bargaining agreement. If they're mad, they should call Gary Bettman and complain to him. Get mad at Gary Bettman. He's in charge of the rules, not me. I didn't realize there were some rules we're not allowed to use.
  • Quoted in "Clarke goes on offensive defending offer," tsn.ca (2006-09-14)
  • After signing Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler to an offer sheet in 2006

Unsourced

• They [the Soviets] complain about the ice, the practice time. They show up late, they don't like our gifts. They're always trying to play with our minds. But that won't work with our club. We've got 20 guys with no brains.
  • Prior to playing against the Soviet Union's Red Army team in January 1976

• If I hadn't learned to lay on a two-hander once in a while, I'd never have left Flin Flon.
  • Reply after being asked about his controversial slash to the ankle of Valeri Kharlamov during the Summit Series

• There's no reason why a player is done at 33, 34. They train better, they eat better, they drink better. This isn't the old days when everybody sat around and drank beer.
  • On signing Kjell Samuelsson on August 31, 1995

• Roger got cancer. That wasn't our fault. We didn't tell him to go get cancer. It's too bad that he did. We feel sorry for him, but then he went goofy on us.
  • On former coach Roger Neilson, who wasn't allowed to coach after returning from cancer treatment

• I see Eric Desjardins get his teeth knocked out. I didn't hear from his mom and dad. John LeClair gets his face torn up with 40 stitches, and we didn't hear from his mom and dad. I'm just so tired of our organization getting beat up so badly by all the accusations the family makes. I don't dislike Eric. I pity him. I feel sorry for him. What's it like to be 27 years old and have your mom and dad running your life? Can't even go to the ... doctor on your own without your mom and dad coming along.
  • On Eric Lindros following a Flyers loss and another Lindros concussion in Game 7 of the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals

• I don't give a crap whether he ever plays again or if I ever see him again. All he ever did was cause aggravation to our team.
  • After trading Lindros to the New York Rangers in August 2001

• "If you asked him the time, he'd build you a watch. You didn't dare ask him a question because you'd have to stand there and listen to him spout off for half an hour."
  • On Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden